Measuring device



June 14, 1938*. l..l B. lBUTEFQr--IEIL 2,120,391

MEASURING DEVICE Filed Nov. 1Q, 1934 Flc. l :IlL

sf 25.12, L26I "'"\/35 /20 Y /NVENTOR l.. E. @urns/mab A TTORNE y atented- June 14,- 1938 l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEASUBING DEVICE Louis B. Butteriield, Short Hills, N. J., assigner to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of New York This invention relates to measuring devices and more particularly to devices for making electrical measurements requiring an unusually great range of scale.

The apparatus used in some instances to locate a fault of insulation or a break in a conductor in electrical cables comprises fundamentally Y a Wheatstone bridge circuit having a perfectly insulated conductor of the cable and the imperfectly insulated or broken conductor as arms of the bridge. As the lengths of cable. under investigation may be of the order of hundreds or even thousands of feet, and the defect to be located may be anywhere in the entire length, and -as it is important to locate the site of the defect -with an accuracy of the order of one tenth of one percent, the possible scale reading required may ex- Y tend over thousands of units and may need to be readable to the nearest unit oreven in some instances, fraction of a unit.

One object of the present invention is to pro-n vide an apparatus for locating defects in conductors in which the variable element is compact and yet may be varied over a great range of values with a scale suiciently wide to permit of distinguishing small variations clearly and rapidly.

One embodiment of the invention may be in an apparatus for locating faults in electrical conductors including a Wheatstone bridge or the like in which the element variable at will comprises a continuously variable element variably connected across a decade element of the same kind but of higher 'order by tandem switches, which decade element may in turn be variably connected in the same way across decade elements of still higher order.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof in apparatus for locating faults in a multi-conductor cable, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which the same reference numerals arel applied to identical parts in the several figures and in Which- Fig. 1 is a diagram of the circuit .connections of Fig. 3 is a diagram of the device of Fig. 2 ex' panded to a higher order;

Fig. 4 is a diagram analogous to Fig. 2 but showing the apparatus as used to locate a. break` in a conductor, and

Fig. 5 is a diagram analogous to Fig.Y 2 in which capacitance units are used in place of resistances.-

In the form of embodiment of the invention herein disclosed Fig. 1 represents the circuit diagram of a well known cable fault locating device of the prior art such as disclosed in U. S. Patent 754,402 of March 8, 1904 to Daniel E. Wiseman. In this ligure it is assumed that there is a contact due to faulty insulation at'the point I3 between conductor l0 and conductor II of a cable and it is desired to locate the fault by determining its distance from the left hand end of the cable at I2, I4.

A variable resistance has a resistance wire or element I6 and two contacts I'l and I8 slidable thereon, the element I6 being of uniform resistance per unit of length. 'Ihe conductor I0 is connected at its end I2 to the ilxed terminal contact i9 of the resistance and at its end I5 to the slider I8. The conductor II is connected through an indicating device 20'such as a galvanometer to the slider I'l. A battery or other source of current 2l is connected across I5 and I9.

The length of the cable being known, the slider I8 'is set at a point on a scale associated with the resistance I6 and having its zero at the terminal I9, so that the number of resistance units between I 8 and i9 is the same as the number of length units between I2 and I5. The slider l1 is then moved until the indicator '20 shows no current. Thenumber of resistance units between I'I and I9, i. e. the scale reading of the slider I1, is then the same as the number of length units between |3 and Il.

Such an instrument is convenient and accurate -provided that thev scale associated with the resistance l 6 is convenient and accurate, i. e. lsboth compact and has its graduations widely spaced1 By the present invention it is possible to use a scale representing an aliquot portion only of the total resistance between points I'i and I9, this resistance as a whole being variable discontinu; nusly in steps and also continuously variable over the range of any one step, the scale representing only the values of any one step.

Fig. 2 represents a method of accomplishing' this result in accordance with the invention. The

continuous resistance I6 of Fig. l is here replaced by a pair of identically similar resistance sequences 22 and 23. Sequence 22 consists of 9 identically similar resistances 2l, 24 connected in A series to the terminal I9 .and having connection terminals between each two. and at each end of the sequence. These may be numbered by tens from 0 to 90 inclusive. Sequence 23 the same 55 f in construction. A third resistance25 is provided equal in valuey to any one of the resistances 24 but provided with 'a continuously variable sliding contact I1 and a scale divided from 0.0 to 10.0 by tenths. Means are provided such as a pair of conductors 25, 26 provided with appropriate terminals whereby theresistance 25 may be bridged across any two like numbered plugs such as 2 and 2 of the sequences 22 and 23. To assist in connecting only like numbered plugsV such as 2 and 2 of the sequences 22 and 23 it will be preferable to mount the unit 25 and the conductors.` 26, 26 on a rigid member such as the scale shown in Fig. 2 to maintain the terminals of the conductors 26, 26 rigidly interspaced at the distance between any unit of either sequence and the corresponding unit of the other sequence. Thus by shifting the connections 25, 26 along the sequences the resistance between I8 and I9 is unchanged while that between I'I and I9 is altered by steps of ten units. 'I'hen by sliding the contact I1 along the resistance 25, the continuous variation of the resistance between I'I and I9 is attained and is readable to tenths of a unit. To permit of setting contact I8 with a continuously variable accuracy equal to that ofthe setting of contact |'I and auxiliary resistance 35 is interposed between the sequence 23 and the contact |8. 'Ihis resistance 35 may well be identically like resistance 25.

Fig. 3 shows means for adding one further significant figure to the range of the device, i. e. for multiplying the range by ten. Here two additional identically similar sequences 2 and'28 of identically similar resistances 29, 29 are provided in which each resistance 29 has ten times the value of any resistance 2H. Connectors 30 and 3| are provided whereby the zero terminal of sequence 22 may be connected to any terminal of sequence 27 and the 90 terminal of sequence 23 to any corresponding terminal of sequence 28. In this diagram the zero terminal of sequence 2 is also terminal I9. Although by this arrangement a total range of 1000.0 units is available with continuous variation over any and every part of the range, yet the scale required extends only over ten units and may easily be readable to one-tenth unit thus giving an accuracy of reading of 1 in 10,000 with a scale reading only from 0 to 100. Evidently another bank of resistances each tenY times as great as the resistances 29 can be set under the sequences 2l and 28 as these are set under the sequences 22 and 23. Ihen the range is extended to 10,000.0 units readable to one-tenth unit and the accuracy becomes l part in 100,000. In this case a second auxiliary resistance sequence 45 having a range of 100 units by steps of 10 units is interposed between the sequence 28 and the first auxiliary resistance 35 to enable setting of contact I8 with the requisite accuracy.

Fig. 4 shows a modication of. the apparatus of Fig. 2 as adapted to locate a break I 3D in one conductor I0 of a cable. The galvanometer 20 of Fig. 1 is replaced by a telephone receiver |20 and the battery 2| by a source I2I of alternating current. Conductor II is any convenient unbroken conductor of the cable. The variable resistance device I6, I'I, I8, I9 remains the same as does the mode of operation. 'I'he resistance I6 may, however, now berepiaced by an inductance, the point in either case being to balance the resistances or' inductances between I'I and I9, and I8 and I9 against the capacities indicated at 32 and 33. Hare again the expanded resistance devices of Figs. 2 and 3 may replace the device I5 or an analogous apparatus having inductances in place of the resistances 24 and 29 may be used.

In case the fault is found to lie so near the left end of the conductor that the contact I1 should lie between connection I9 and the rst step connection of sequence 22 in Figs. 2 or 4 or of sequence 21 in Fig. 3 the connections to the conductors are transferred to their respective other ends.

Fig. 5 shows the invention embodied in an apparatus analogousV to that of Fig. 2 in which the resistances 24, 25 and 35 are replaced by capacitance units |24, |25 and |35, respectively. The unit |25 is a three plate condenser in which the outer plates connected to the wires 26, 26 are fixed and the central plate is variable.

A characteristic feature .of the invention is the provision of the two mutually independent decade sequences 22 and 2 2 of electrical standa ard units 24 or |24 (resistances, inductances, capacitances, or the like) together with the adjustable auxiliary connection 25, 25, 25 or. 26, |25, 26 between the sequences in which the element 25 or |25 has a fixed value between the decade sequences and a continuously variable value to a third connection, and in which 'the auxiliary connection may be connected from any unit of the one sequence, say 22, to a corresponding unit of the other sequence. It is to be noted that the two decade sequences 22 and 23 are mutually independent, i. e. are not electrically permanently or normally connected, being internally connectible in varying ways by means oi the movable unit 25 and externally connectible in use through some normally unrelated conductor, e. g. conductor I 0 in Fig. 2.

The embodiment ci' the invention herein disclosed is in an apparatus for locating faults in multi-conductor cable, but the invention is susceptible of many other applications where an electrical instrument employs a resistance, inductance or other divisible element together with a scale therefor and it is of advantage to have the scale reading' cover an unusually great range at the same time that the reading is continuously minutely variable. Hence the embodiment herein disclosed is merely illustrative and may be widely varied and departed from without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as pointed out in and limited solely by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. An electrical measuring device comprising a first pair of decade sequences of standard electrical units all of identical electrical value, a second pair of decade sequences of standard electrical units each of one tenth the value of any unit of the iii-st pair of sequences and one end terminal of one sequence of the second pair being connectible to any unit of one sequence ofthe rst pair and the opposite end terminal of the second sequence of the second pair being connectible to the corresponding unit of the second sequence of the iirst pair, a connector unit identical in kind and total value with any unit of the second pair and connectible with xed value by two terminals from any unit of one sequence of the second pair to a corresponding unit of the other sequence of the second pair, and

means to connect the connector unit with conprising a decade sequence of standard electrical amasar 3. In an electrical measuring device, a Wheat.

stone bridge circuit having two arms each comprising a decade sequence of standard electrical capacitances all of identical electrical value. a

connector capacitance of like kind and identical value with. any of the tlrst named capacitances and connectible with ixed value from any capacltance of one arm sequence ot capacltances to a corresponding capacitance of the other sequence o! erm capacitances, and means to connect the connector capacitance with continuously variable value to the bridge oi the circuit.

4. In an electrical apparatus for locating faults in cable conductors, a decade sequence of lstandard electrical units connectible at one end there#- o! to one end of a perfect conductor cia cable. an identically similar sequence connectible to the other end of the perfect conductor at any unit of the sequence, means to impose an electromo- Y tive force along the conductor, a connector unit connectible at constant value from any unit of the first sequence to a corresponding unit ox the second sequence and connectible at a continuously variable value from the saidrunit of the rst sequenceY to one end of a faulty conductor of the cable, and an electrical detecting means in the series with the said unit of the ilrst sequence and with the faulty conductor.

5. An electrical measuring device comprising a pair 0i' mutually independent sequences of standard electrical units. a variable unit or like kind and identical electrical value connectible from any unit of one sequence to only the correspending next unit of the other sequence, and means to connect the connector unit with continuously lvariable value to a third terminal.

6. An electrical measuring device comprising a pair of mutually independent sequences of standard electrical units, a variable unit of like kind and identical electrical value connectible by two terminals of xed interspacing from any unit of one sequence to only the corresponding next unit of the other sequence, andmeans to connect the connector unit with continuously variable value to a third terminal.

Louis B. normaux-11n. 

